Key blueprint worth a read

There are no horrific implications for September 10 but it is an important day for everyone concerned about the future of this county. It is your last opportunity to comment on a document that will be the blueprint for Dorset for the next 12 years.

If you care enough about the big issues like housing, jobs and traffic to want to influence them you need to get on the internet today - or pop down to your local council offices.

The Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole Structure Plan is a 119-page guide to planning development between now and 2016.

It has taken our local authorities and their partners years to produce and for good or ill it could have a massive effect on life here.

It lays down where new housing should be concentrated, which land should be reserved for factories and warehouses, where major new offices should be built and where road improvements are considered essential.

It may sound deadly dull, but in fact it is a fascinating book, clearly written with minimum jargon and full of nuggets of information.

One of its many admirable points is its vision of a county where:

the economy creates more wealth and provides more jobs;

all the housing needs of Dorset are met;

community life is fostered;

safety and health are improved;

the distinctive quality and diversity of the natural and built environment is enhanced.

Some of these aspirations are contradictory and from a business perspective the plan does have significant failings.

For instance, a strong local economy requires an effective transport network and that should include a much-improved east-west link across the Bournemouth-Poole conurbation.

There are also grave worries about a planned reduction the rate of house building. This so-called "sustainable" approach could well lead to further huge property price increases and lead not only to social problems but to a recruitment crisis for local employers.

You can make your own mind up by downloading the Structure Plan from www.dorsetcc.gov.uk/structureplan